A Nightmare but Real
by HM-Babe
Summary: Amalthea can't live without Lir any longer. Shmendrick changes her back and they all travel back to Haggard's kingdom with the addition of a unicorn. The kingdom, now ruled by Lir, is bright and wonderful. But there is a problem. Lir has no memory of her


'The unicorns were back in the world now...so why do I feel as though something is not right?' thought the former last unicorn as she rested by a pond, staring into the water, remember her one and only love. 'Lir...I miss him, but our love just cannot be. Unicorns cannot love. Or feel regret yet, strangely, I think that's what I am feeling. Love and regret... Do I regret leaving Lir?' she questioned thoughtfully. The unicorn was sad now, for leaving her love. She felt things no unicron should, and she can't deal with it much longer.

"Amalthea?" questioned a voice. Her eyes slowly drifted to a reflection in the water. It was Lir. She quickly got to her feet her eyes never leaving the reflection. She took a deep breathe, as if preparing herself. Then she looked up from the water. Lir was no where to be found.

"Amalthea." said the voice once more. She looked around yet Lir was no where in sight. She looked back down at the water and saw his reflection.

"Lir? How is it that I can hear your voice and see your reflection but I cannot see you?" she question with sorrow.

"Amalthea..." said Lir's voice once more as the water rippled and his reflectioned disappeared. The unicorn looked up and saw animals softly drinking the clear water.

"Lir." she said quietly as she began to walk away from her resting spot. 'Why do I feel such things? Why couldn't Shmendrick make my once human heart return to it's former state?' she thought as a tear rolled down her whie face.

"Unicorn...are you crying?" asked a voice from behind her. It was Shmendrick.

"Yes, Shmendrick, I am crying. Was there something else you wanted?" she responded in her normal monotoned way.

"Well, I just came to see you, Unicorn." he said trying to lighten the mood.

"Thank you for visiting, Shmendrick. And where is Molly, today?" she asked as she returned to her walking. Shmendrick took his place by her side as he often did during their quest.

"She's here. She's just sight seeing right now." he smiled. "She's probably talking with all the other unicorns here in this forest."

"Yes, Molly loves the unicorns." smiled the unicorn at all the memories of Molly.

"That she does." Shmendrick smiled.

"Shmendrick, might I ask you a question?" asked the unicorn cautiously.

"Ask away, Unicorn."

"Do you love Molly Grue?" she asked looking over at him now.

"Wh-we-well I-I-I don't know I-I-I-I think I might..." he stuttered nervously.

"I am happy for you, Shmendrick. I am happy for Molly Grue as well..." she replied sorrowfully.

"Oh Unicorn...I'm sorry but it's very dangerous for you to be human...you may forget what you are and the unicorns." he said softly.

"But the unicorns are back, are they not? My quest is over now. I've defeated the Red Bull. What does it matter if there is just one less unicorn in the world?" she said on the verge of tears.

"Unicorn-" Shmendrick said but was cut of by the Unicorn's whineying.

"I'm not 'Unicorn'! I am Amalthea! I am human! Trapped once more in a unicorn's body, but my heart and soul are human!" she cried. "Forgive me, Shmendrick. I have just been thinking too much of Lir and my mind as just grown a bit weak." she apologized.

"It's ok. Don't worry about it." he reasured her. Then Molly walked up to the unicorn with a smile.

"Hello, Unicorn." she said kindly but there noticed the unicorns sad expression. "Is something troubling you?" she asked.

"Yes, Molly. I've been thinking of Lir. I miss him." she said softly.

"Shmendrick, change her back." Molly ordered.

"No." he replied shortly.

"Why not? Can't you see she's miserable? No unicorn should live like that..." she reasoned.

"What do you want, Unicorn? Do you want to be with Lir and forget about the unicorns?" he asked retoricaly

"Then, do not let me forget." she replied.

"What?" asked Molly.

"Remind me of the unicorns. Take one with us as we travel to Lir's castle and it can stay there. And you and Molly could remind me of the unicorns if I ever forget." the unicorn pleaded. "Shmendrick...please." she said softly.

"Is this what you want, Unicorn?" he asked finally.

"Yes, Shmendrick, it is." she replied hopefully.

"Fine...go and get a unicorn who is willing to help us, Molly." he ordered and Molly ran off to fetch the unicorn. Soon when she returned with a unicorn she found Lady Amalthea standing there wrapped in a cloak. The unicorn Molly had brought walked up to Amalthea and stared at her a moment.

"You were once a unicorn, were you not?" asked the female unicorn as she looked into Amalthea's eyes.

"Yes, I was. Will you please help us, Unicorn?" she asked sweetly.

"I will help you...Amalthea was it? But as long as you do not forget us."

"Thank you very much." smiled Amalthea.

"Shall we go then?" asked Shmendrick. They all nodded and began their journey.

As they entered Lir's kingdom, that was once King Haggard's, they saw a village filled with people, and the land seemed full of life, unlike before.

"How did this kingdom change so much?" asked Amalthea quietly.

"It probably returned to it's former self after Haggard died." Shmendrick said. Amalthea was looking around as she walked and she saw children staring at the unicorn, by her side, with amazment. She looked around again and saw grown men and woman looking at her in astonishment.

"Wow...she's beautiful." she heard a male villager say.

"How disgraceful. Walking around in nothing but a cloak." she heard a woman say.

"Poor girl...probably too poor to afford clothes" she heard another say. At all of these whispers Amalthea just sighed. Soon they reached the castle door and Shmendrick requested that the gaurds around the door let them in.

"What business do you have here?" asked one of the gaurds.

"We wished to serve Prince Lir, as his servants." Shmendrick said convincingly. The gaurd sighed and let them in and led them to the throne room.

"Prince Lir will be with you shortly." said the gaurd as he left them. The castle had been rebuilt and looked so much more pleasant than it had before. The walls where painted white and tapestries depicting unicorns hung on the walls. The throne was painted white, aswell, and had red cushions upon it. Amalthea noticed that there were two thrones sitting there and at first she wondered why but soon brushed the thought away as Lir entered the room.

"I see I have guests." he said nicely. Amalthea walked over to him and pushed back the hood of the cloak that had been concealing her face.

"Lir?" she questioned unbelieving.

"Um...yes? Have we met before?" he questioned. At his question, Amalthea stepped back from him.

"Do you not remember me?" she asked.

"I'm sorry but I've never met any of you before." he said confused. Amalthea looked at him pitifully as a woman with brown hair and green eyes entered the room.

"And who have we welcome to the castle today, Lir?" she asked sweetly as she walked over to Lir.

"I'm sorry I haven't gotten their names." he said looking over at Amalthea, who had a sorrowful look on her face.

"I am the great wizard, Shmendrick, and this is my companion, Molly Grue." he introduced.

"And whose the girl?" the woman asked.

"Oh, that is my neice, Lady Amalthea." he introduced.

"I am Prince Lir, as you are apparently aware, and this is my fiance, Lady Amelia." Lir introduced. Then the group heard a loud whiney from the beach below the balcony and they all ran over to the balcony to see what was the matter.

"Oh this is my-"

"mare. A beautiful creature she is." Amelia said cutting Amalthea off midsentence.

"She is beautiful." Lir smiled. "Oh that reminds me why are you all here?"

"We wish to serve you, your highness." Molly said. "I can cook and clean, and Shmendrick is a wonderful magician."

"Very well." He said. "The kitchen is on the bottom floor, first door to the right. The guest rooms are lined up on the left on the floor below this one. But first I think we should get Lady Amalthea some suitable clothes." He said taking her by the hand. Amalthea snatched her hand away from him and averted her eyes from him. "uh...follow me, miss." he said walking off.

"I'll see you at dinner, Lir." said Amelia as they walked off.

After Amalthea was dressed she left the castle and sat on the nearby beach with the unicorn. Then she began to cry.

"Amalthea...what is the matter?" the unicorn asked nudging her softly.

"Lir...has forgotten me. He is engaged to another woman. How could this happen? I changed my whole life for him and he does not ever remember even knowing me." she said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "This cannot be happening. I'm dreaming. I must be."

"Amalthea...this is not a dream. And there is something I don't trust about that woman Amelia. She doesn't seem like Molly or the others." The unicorn said looking up at the balcony where Amelia was looking down at them.

"Lady Amalthea?" questioned a voice. Amalthea looked up through tear filled eyes and saw Lir standing there. "Miss, what's the matter? Who or what has done you wrong?" He asked concerned.

'You' she thought sadly. She sighed and stood up as she wiped away her tears. "Never mind what troubles me, your highness. It is nothing you can help me with apparently..." she said sorrowfully as she gazed at the sea.


End file.
